1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to waste disposal apparatus, and more particularly, to incinerator apparatus for burning waste. Still more particularly, the present invention is directed toward a "ram" incinerator apparatus having beneficial application in the home or small business/commercial establishment for burning garbage, paper, clothing, and the like.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Incinerator apparatus of various constructions are known in the prior art. One particular class of incinerator apparatus into which the present invention can be broadly categorized may be described, for purposes of discussion only, as a "ram" incinerator. Such "ram" incinerators generally include a vertical waste storage cylinder positioned above a combustion chamber such that, during operation, a ram-like means forces the waste to be incinerated downwardly in the direction of the combustion chamber with the waste itself forming the top of the combustion chamber. At the completion of the advancement of the ram, most of the waste originally contained in the waste storage cylinder is incinerated leaving a residual plug of char in the storage cylinder which is used for the starting of the next burn. In the design of such "ram" incinerators a number of different methods have been proposed for preventing the load of waste from falling or collapsing into combustion chamber during incineration of the waste. For example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,313,253 and 3,357,376 have used stationary transversely disposed electrical resistance heating rods acting as a grate-like support for the waste. U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,295,477; 3,336,884 and 3,357,379, have used a conical restriction at the bottom of the vertical waste storage cylinder as a means for utilizing the inherent structural strength and coherence of the charred waste material at the bottom of the load of waste in order to bridge the space above the combustion chamber. Attempts have been made to use a continuously rotating vertical post positioned within the combustion chamber and having a cap thereatop for supporting the bottom of the load of waste and for scraping charred material from the bottom of the waste.
Each of these methods, was deficient. For example, in designs which used stationary transversely disposed electrical heating rods as a grate-like support for the waste, the stationary rods have tended to retain rather than pass the burned waste ash so that air could not reach the unburned carbon material above the ash. Consequently, the temperature and combustion rate of such incinerators quickly dropped to inoperable levels soon after the commencement of incineration. In designs which used a conical restriction at the bottom of the vertical waste storage cylinder, the charred bottom of the waste was not a reliable bridge over the combustion chamber and unburned waste clogged the combustion chamber. In designs involving the use of a rotating vertical support/scraper post, the rotating post scraped away more char than was necessary and the excess char evidenced itself as unburned carbon in the waste ash. All of the aforementioned designs suffered from a common yet vital shortcoming in that none properly controlled the flow of combustible waste into the combustion chamber at the rate required to maintain a constant and optimum combustion rate and temperature.
It has also been proposed in the aforementioned U.S. Pat. No. 3,357,379 to achieve the optimum combustion rate and temperature in such ram incinerators by "air switching" which varied the air turbulence of the combustion air at the waste burning surface. However, this method eventually fails when a layer of dense waste ash such as magazine ash prevents the incoming combustion air from reaching the carbon material above the burning surface. U.S. Pat. No. 3,295,477 proposed to blast the dense waste ash from the burning surface with periodically activated compressed air jets, however this method also blasts off charred but incompletely burned material to become unconsumed carbon in the ash disposal system.
Moreover, there was a time at which ashes were required to be removed from the combustion chambers of the incinerator apparatus disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,313,253; 3,357,376 and 3,357,379, otherwise the combustion chambers would become clogged with ashes. U.S Pat. Nos. 3,295,477 and 3,336,884 proposed to rid the combustion chamber of ash by blasting the ash out the bottom of a funnel shaped combustion chamber and into the cooling air stream with compressed air jets. This method of ash removal has the disadvantage that the ash suspended in the cooling air stream must be removed with a cyclone separator to reduce particulates in the exhaust to an acceptable level.
An advantage exists, therefore, for a ram incinerator apparatus which completely and automatically controls start-up, burn, shutdown, and ash removal, as well as the flow of combustible waste into the combustion chamber at the rate required to maintain a constant and optimum combustion rate and temperature.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a waste incinerator which fully automatically controls start-up, burn, shutdown, and ash removal, as well as the flow of combustible waste into the combustion chamber at the rate required to maintain a constant and optimum combustion rate and temperature.
It is a further object cf the present invention to provide a waste incinerator in which the ash is handled as a solid during removal in a controlled manner without generating particulates in the exhaust.
It is an another object of the incinerator to package cold ash for dust free removal or to provide for flushing down a drain into the sewer.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a waste incinerator which maintains a sufficiently high temperature e.g., above 1500.degree. F., and sufficient air in the combustion chamber in order to ensure complete combustion of the carbonaceous material in the waste and thereby eliminate smoke and odor in the exhaust gases.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a waste incinerator apparatus having a large capacity and which is ram fed so that a large quantity of combustible waste can be loaded therein and then subsequently burned over a relatively extended period of time without requiring the attention of an operator.
It is a still further object of the present invention to provide a waste incinerator apparatus having a system for positively and automatically removing the combustion ash so that the ash remains at sufficient thickness to act as thermal insulation for the bottom of the combustion chamber.
It is yet a further object of the present invention to provide a waste incinerator apparatus which produces a relatively low exhaust gas temperature, preferably of less than about 200.degree. F., to permit the incinerator apparatus to have the same exhaust requirements as today's household clothes dryer.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a waste incinerator apparatus which avoids the use of combustible gas as an ignition heat source or for supplemental heat.
Still other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent in light of the attached drawings and written description of the invention presented herebelow.